At the core of the very public dispute among unions nationally are conflicting strategies for rebuilding and reorganizing the nation's labor movement.
"Clearly, we're in a crisis," said Eliot Seide, executive director of AFSCME Council 5. Unions now represent only 12.5 percent of the nation's workers ? and only 7.9 percent of workers in the private sector. The share of workers in unions has declined nonstop for the last 25 years.
Dwindling union power has been fueled partly by organized labor's own mistakes, but also by increasingly hostile government and corporate policies, unharnessed international trade, and eroding protections under labor law. Workers have paid the price ? in wages that barely keep up with inflation, and in declining benefits and workplace protections.
Dissident unions drive agenda
Six dissident unions that call themselves the Change to Win Coalition ? Carpenters, Laborers, SEIU, Teamsters, UFCW, and UNITE HERE ? say unions must help workers build real power. With that goal, they make organizing nonunion workers their top priority. Some of these unions say they will leave the AFL-CIO if the convention doesn't go far enough to enact their platform.
Other unions ? which to this point have provided a comfortable majority for AFL-CIO president John Sweeney ? don't dispute the need to organize. They say, however, that enough workers won't be able to form unions until the labor movement helps change the nation's political climate. Their approach favors making mobilization around political and legislative campaigns the top priority.
All kinds of other ideas are part of the debate, with the two sides often overlapping in concept, though not always in detail or execution. Proposals address:
? How much money unions should spend on politics, organizing and other activities.
? Who should control that money.
? The balance of power and responsibility among the AFL-CIO and its member unions, and among large and small unions.
? Slashing AFL-CIO staff by 25 percent.
? Requiring ? or maybe just encouraging ? mergers of unions in the same economic sector.
? Setting up "industry coordinating committees" to enforce contract standards within economic sectors.
? Taking on Wal-Mart and other anti-union companies.
? Going beyond the Democratic Party to elect worker-friendly candidates.
? Requiring commitment to ? and accountability from ? local and state labor movements.
All these issues are expected to be fought out in resolutions, proposed constitutional amendments, and budgets.
But the dissidents face serious procedural obstacles. Although they represent about 40 percent of the AFL-CIO's membership, they have only about 10 percent of the convention's delegates.
Moving forward
"I have hope that everybody's interest within the labor movement is to keep the movement moving forward," said Scott Malcolm, head of the Lakes and Plains Regional Council of Carpenters.
The mere fact that the discussion is taking place already has sparked positive changes, he said. Whatever happens "will be part of the evolution of the labor movement. You can't stay stagnant. You have to have a structure that allows change."
"I like the fact, quite frankly, that some of the international unions have gotten off their butts and tried to force change," said Don Seaquist, president of UFCW Local 789. We're 8 percent of the workforce now; we've become almost irrelevant. Why not do something?? The same old same old just doesn't work anymore."
"This debate's been real serious," Seide said. "I think a lot of intelligent, worthwhile ideas are there to be considered."
Power struggles
Some Minnesota union leaders say there are more than ideas behind the battle.
"What started out as a reasonable and ambitious and aggressive debate of new ideas has now become a match of personal egos," Seide said.
"This is clearly a contest for the top position of the AFL-CIO," said Ray Waldron, president of the Minnesota AFL-CIO. "I think it's just strictly who's running the organization."
The dissident unions, Waldron said, "want to see John Sweeney leave. That's the clear case." Sweeney, who actually was elected as a dissident candidate himself in 1995, is seeking re-election in Chicago, even though he once promised to serve only two terms.
Seaquist doesn't discount another factor behind the dissidents' campaign. "Frankly, it's money," he said. "They feel they can spend it better than the AFL-CIO can."
For more information
Visit the Workday Minnesota special section, Labor's Future
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At the core of the very public dispute among unions nationally are conflicting strategies for rebuilding and reorganizing the nation’s labor movement.
“Clearly, we’re in a crisis,” said Eliot Seide, executive director of AFSCME Council 5. Unions now represent only 12.5 percent of the nation’s workers ? and only 7.9 percent of workers in the private sector. The share of workers in unions has declined nonstop for the last 25 years.
Dwindling union power has been fueled partly by organized labor’s own mistakes, but also by increasingly hostile government and corporate policies, unharnessed international trade, and eroding protections under labor law. Workers have paid the price ? in wages that barely keep up with inflation, and in declining benefits and workplace protections.
Dissident unions drive agenda
Six dissident unions that call themselves the Change to Win Coalition ? Carpenters, Laborers, SEIU, Teamsters, UFCW, and UNITE HERE ? say unions must help workers build real power. With that goal, they make organizing nonunion workers their top priority. Some of these unions say they will leave the AFL-CIO if the convention doesn’t go far enough to enact their platform.
Other unions ? which to this point have provided a comfortable majority for AFL-CIO president John Sweeney ? don’t dispute the need to organize. They say, however, that enough workers won’t be able to form unions until the labor movement helps change the nation’s political climate. Their approach favors making mobilization around political and legislative campaigns the top priority.
All kinds of other ideas are part of the debate, with the two sides often overlapping in concept, though not always in detail or execution. Proposals address:
? How much money unions should spend on politics, organizing and other activities.
? Who should control that money.
? The balance of power and responsibility among the AFL-CIO and its member unions, and among large and small unions.
? Slashing AFL-CIO staff by 25 percent.
? Requiring ? or maybe just encouraging ? mergers of unions in the same economic sector.
? Setting up “industry coordinating committees” to enforce contract standards within economic sectors.
? Taking on Wal-Mart and other anti-union companies.
? Going beyond the Democratic Party to elect worker-friendly candidates.
? Requiring commitment to ? and accountability from ? local and state labor movements.
All these issues are expected to be fought out in resolutions, proposed constitutional amendments, and budgets.
But the dissidents face serious procedural obstacles. Although they represent about 40 percent of the AFL-CIO’s membership, they have only about 10 percent of the convention’s delegates.
Moving forward
“I have hope that everybody’s interest within the labor movement is to keep the movement moving forward,” said Scott Malcolm, head of the Lakes and Plains Regional Council of Carpenters.
The mere fact that the discussion is taking place already has sparked positive changes, he said. Whatever happens “will be part of the evolution of the labor movement. You can’t stay stagnant. You have to have a structure that allows change.”
“I like the fact, quite frankly, that some of the international unions have gotten off their butts and tried to force change,” said Don Seaquist, president of UFCW Local 789. We’re 8 percent of the workforce now; we’ve become almost irrelevant. Why not do something?? The same old same old just doesn’t work anymore.”
“This debate’s been real serious,” Seide said. “I think a lot of intelligent, worthwhile ideas are there to be considered.”
Power struggles
Some Minnesota union leaders say there are more than ideas behind the battle.
“What started out as a reasonable and ambitious and aggressive debate of new ideas has now become a match of personal egos,” Seide said.
“This is clearly a contest for the top position of the AFL-CIO,” said Ray Waldron, president of the Minnesota AFL-CIO. “I think it’s just strictly who’s running the organization.”
The dissident unions, Waldron said, “want to see John Sweeney leave. That’s the clear case.” Sweeney, who actually was elected as a dissident candidate himself in 1995, is seeking re-election in Chicago, even though he once promised to serve only two terms.
Seaquist doesn’t discount another factor behind the dissidents’ campaign. “Frankly, it’s money,” he said. “They feel they can spend it better than the AFL-CIO can.”
For more information
Visit the Workday Minnesota special section, Labor’s Future